Machine-gun mount



J. S. PEOPLES.

MACHINE GUN MOUNT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, lens.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.J. S. PEOPLES. MACHINE GUN MOUNT.

' APPLICATION FILEYD NOV- 26,1918- 1,374,862, Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN s. rnornns, on THE. UNITED srnr'ns ARMY, nssienonii'o nnwron D. BAKER,

rains ma ur o es.

SECRETARY OF.WAR, TRUSTEE.

- ilinoniixria-Gun vionivtr. 7

nausea.

Specificationof Letters r atent. Patent e c l Apr, 1921;. 'Application filed. fiovember 26,1918. Seria1-No. 26 4,2 25 V i V i v i I (FILED unniia'rnn ACT or aAncn s, 1883, 22 STAT. 1.; s25.

To all whom it may concern: 1 I

Be it known that "1, JOHN- S. .Pnornns, captain, Ordnance Department, U. S. A.', at present stationed at Washington, District of Columbia have invented an Improvement in Machine- 1111 Munts,'of which the followin is a specification. r f I he invention described herein may be I i used by the Government, or any of itsoflicers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person inthe without payment of "any:

United States, v royalty thereon.

This invention relates to machine gun mounts and refers more particularly. to that type of mount adapted for supporting a machine gun for anti aircraftwarfare The principal object of'theinventionis' to provide a light collapsible structure for thesupport of a machine gum-wherein means is provided for the complete rotation of the gun in traverse and also the readyradjustinent thereof for elevation from the horizontal to the perpendicular; r

Another object of the invention is to provide a counter-balancing device for rendering the elevation I of r the gun speedy and easy of accomplishment, the Weightof the gun in descending from the perpendicular to the horizontal serving to wind up the counter-balancing springs, so that the elevation of the gun may be eflected in part by-the energy thus storedin the springs.

Still another object is to provide my mount with means for the automatic locking of the gun at any desired angle of elevation at which it may be swung by the operator, thus to remain .until the unlocking lever is actuated to release the same. v I

With the foregoing and other-objects in View, my invention comprises the new and usefuldetails of construction and arrange IIlBIll], which will be hereinafter fully de soribed,il-lustrated in the annexed drawings,

and pointed out more specifically in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein the preferred embodiment ofiny invention is shown, likereference characters refer to like or-corresponding parts throughout the several views. I

In the drawings V Figure l is a side elevation of the rn'achine' gun'rnount of my invention.-

Fig. 2 is a top plan vview of my device Fig. 3 s a fragmentary sectional view of the pivoting meansv for the machine gunby which the elevation and deflection of the gun" of the bearing sleeves for the pivoting shaft. f 1 .7 1 V r Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional'detailof the locking means for the. 1

r c. 3- "Flg. 8is sectional view 'througl 1the locking pin, showing the elevating arm for: i

the machine gun in fragmentary elevation, the view beingtaken" on line'8'8 of Fig. Referring now to the drawings, mydevice comprises a pair of -siniilar'rings 10 and, 12

mounted in paralleli relation 'andicarried in substantially horizontal planes. 'Each of said rings is preferably angular in crosssection, the upper ringf12 having an in turned flange 12 on its'up'perface and the lower ring" 10 having an in-turned flange 10 on its lower face. The lower ringis supported in any suitable manner on a plurality of removabletelescoping legs 11, preferably flared outwardly at their pointed bottom ends to give added stability to the mount. w

Upper ring l2is mounted to rotate upon flange 10''- of the lower ring by'means of a plurali-tv of-roller bearings"l3' pivoted to carriage brackets let fixed to thelower' face of flangefl2" of the upper ring. Bearings 13 are preferablyin the form of wheels mounted to rota.te"onaxl es"15 fixed inthe =carriage brackets, therwheels being carried at an angle so that'the rims thereof'will bear-on the inner surface 'of rin'g l0 and on the upper face of flange 10', thus preventing the lateral displacement of the upper ring with reference to the stationary lower ring. I I

To the upper face offiange 12,-on aline" passing through-the center of ring' 12,

n ount'bearing sleeves 16 and 17 by means ofbearing brackets 18. Sleeves 16 and 17 are secured to said brackets by set screws 19,;

or other suitable means. In sleeves-l6 and The lowering thereof will be easy of ac complishment by reason i of r the added weight of the gun assisting in the winding 17 is mounted a pivoting shaft 20 extending at each end beyond the ends of said sleeves and having fixed thereto, onleach end, one end of one of the coiled springs 21, the other ends of said springs being engaged by the ends of therespective sleeves l6 and 17. The outer ends of shaft 20 are slotted as at 22 and the outer ends of sleeves 16 and 17 are perforated as at 23 to receive the respective inturned ends of the springs 21. The ends of shaft 20 are threaded and sleeve nutsQare in place. i V v 1 The machine gun A is mounted on shaft 20 by means ofa'pairiofspaced apart cradle secured thereon to hold the springs firmly plates 25, having off-set brackets '26 per forated to receive the shaft .20. Sleeved plates 27 are fixed on each side of each of the off-set brackets,said plates being bolted, or similarly fixedto' the shaft.

In assemblingthe springs 21 on the aforesaid shaft and bearing sleeves, the cradle platesare swung upward with the shaft to of shaft 20- will serve to bringthe springs into tension, thus storing up energy therein so that the elevation of the gun may be effected with the assistance of that energy;

up of V the springs.

Bearing sleeve 17 is elongated on its inner end to receive a perforated quadrant 28,

The end of the sleeve is threaded and nuts 29 are threaded thereon, one on each side of the quadrant, to hold the same in fixed relation to the sleeve; Fixed to shaft 20 between the end of sleeve 17 and the'cradle, I provide a bell crank unit30, alocking-arm 31 on the outer side thereof, having a per forated head positioned toswing in the arc of an arcuate perforation 28 in quadrant 28. A locking screw 32is carried in the perforated head of said locking arm and extends through the 'arcuate perforation 28, a nut 33 on the screw being interposed between the arm and quadrant. A jam nut 34 is screwed to the outer end of locking screw 32 and an arm 35 is fixed thereto in.

position to swing the nut into and out of clamping engagement 7 with the stationary quadrant. A manually operable actuating arm 36 is carried by the bell crank lever unit and ahand grip portion 37 is provided on its outer end in position to be rasped by'the gunner. A spring-actuated locking lever 38 is pivoted at 39 to said hand grip portion and a connecting link 40 is pivoted at one end to the locking lever and at its other end to the aforementioned j am nut arm 35. Spring 41 is positioned between the outer end'of the lever outward,thus to normally direct jam nut arm 35 into the engage the quadrant to lock the elevating mechanism in stationary relation with the "fixed'parts of the mount. It will thus be seen thatin. order to swing the gun vertioally about the pivoting line, it will be nec- V essaliy for the operator to first release the locking mechanism by pressing lever 38 toward grip 37, thus actuating jam nut 34 from engagement with the fixed quadrant, thereby freeing the gun for elevation or deflection'by the actuating arm 36.

tioned rearwardly of the mounting shaft 20, thus adapting arm'36' to the-control. of the rotation of ring 12 about the fixed axis of the supporting ring.10.- It will thus be seen that the gunner, 'standingwithin the ring, may actuate thelever 36 with his left likewise control the angle "of elevation at the sametime by the same means, the right hand beingfree to operate thegun. V

' i Having thus described, my invention, What I claim as new and desire to coverby Letters Patent is 1. A gun mount, including a circular track, a mount ng ring positloned above locking position whereby jam nut. 34 will hand to swing the .gun for traverse, and I and in parallel relationto the track, roller bearings-between the ring and the track, a sh'aft-journaled on said ring, gun support.- ing members fixed to the shaft, counter-balancing springs fixed to the shaft and its bearings to normally urge the shaft towardgun elevating position, means for locking ,the shaft against movement under the impulse of the springs and a lever for rocking the shaft and rotating the ring upon the track. a Y i 2. 'A gun "mount, including a circular track, a mounting ring, roller bearings between the ring and'the track, a shaft journaled on the ring and adapted tosupport a gun, counter-balancing springs fixed to the shaft and its bearings tonormally urge the shaft toward gun elevating position, means for locking the shaft against movement under the impulse 'ofthe springs, and a lever for-rocking the shaft and rotating the ring upon the track. V

3. A gun. mount, including a circular track, a mounting-ring adapted for'rotation on'the track, a shaft journaled on the ring and adapted to support a gun, means normally tending to rock the shaft toward gun elevating position, means for locking the shaft against rotary movement about its longitudinal axis and a lever for rocking the shaft and rotating the ring on the track.

4. A gun mount, including a support rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane, a shaft journaled on the support and adapt- 80 ''The grip 37 of actuating arm'3'6 is 'posied to support a gun, resilient'elements fixed plane, a shaft journaledl on the support; gun 10 to the shaft-and its bearings normally tend? supporting members fixed to i the shaft, ing to rock the shaft toward gun elevating counter-balancing springs fixeclrto the shaft position,- means for locking the shaft and its bearings to normally urge the shaft against movement under the impulse of the toward gun elevating position, means I for.

resilient elements and manual means for locking the shaft against movement under 15 rocking the shaft and rotating the support. the impulse of; the springs'and. a lever for.

5. A gun mounting including a support rocking the shaft and. rotatingthe support. rotatable in a substantially horizontal JOHN S. PEOPLES. 

